Rail joint and fastener.



H; H. Mmmm@ BAH. SINT VAND FASTENEE. APPLICATION FILEL JUNE 1, 1909..

atented Got. 26, 1909.

fs@ l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

uersten Umfrnn AsrATas PATENT zonuren.I

HARRY H. MAaKLAND, or McKEEsPom, PENNSYLVANIA.

' aan. JoINT AND JaAs'rEima.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. BIARKLAND, 'a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints and Fasteners, of which the following is a specifica-tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates 'to rail joints and fasteners, and the invention has for its objects, trst, the provision of simple and effective means for connecting the confronting ends of two rails without'the use of bolts and nuts; second, to provide a strong and durable rail brace that will prevent lateral and vertical displacement of the confronting ends of two rails, and third, to provide a rail fastener that can be advantageously used for bracing and connecting together the ends of a broken or otherwise injured rail. These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by a structurethatwill be presently described in detail and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings forming part of this specification, wherein there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural ele ments thereof are susceptible to various changes without departingfrom. the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side ielevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a similar View,

partly broken away and partly in section,

illustrating the inner side of the rail joint,

Fig. 3 is a plan of the-rail joint partly broken away and partly in section, Fig. 4 is an end view of the joint, Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a fastener forming part of the joint, Fig. (i is a side elevation of a modilied form of rail joint, Fig. 7 is a similar View illustrating the inner side of the modified form of rail joint, Fig. 8 is ai plan of the same, Fig. 9 is a cross sectional View of the modified form of `rail joint, and Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a locking member or wrench used in connection with .the modified form of joint.

In the accompanying drawings l denotes a' plate adapted to be supported by two ties 2, and resting upon said plate arethe confronting ends of two rails 3. The outer edge of the plate 1 is provided with an integral splice bar 1 adapted to brace the outer sides of the rails 3, said splice bar extendinur upwardly under the heads 5 of the rails an against the outer sides of said heads', to re- Speciieation of Letters Patent. l Patent/ed Oct, 26, 190.9, Application led June 1, 1909.` Serial N0. 499,276.' v i y vent the rails from tilting or the hea s 5 from shearing relative to the web portions of said rails. The inner edge of the plate 1 is provided with a vertical flange 6 and this flange is provided with two transverse openings 7, the inner ends of said openings terminating in sockets 8 having beveled faces for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

Rotatablymounted in the opening 7 are pins 9 having the outer ends thereof provided with hexagon oroctagon shaped heads 10, while the inner ends thereof are provided with hexagon or octadon shaped Shanks 11. Fitted uponthe shan is 1l and retained-in engagement therewith by cotter pins 12 are fastene: members 13, these members being cylindrical and each having a ratchet or'offset end 14 for 'engaging in the sockets 8. The opposite ends of the members 13 are adapted to engage in sockets 15 provided therefor in a 'splice bar 16 adapted to engage and brace the lnner sides of the rails 3.

Detachably mounted upon the heads 10 of the pins 9 are locking members or wrenches 17 having openings\ 18 and 1.9, theformcr spanning the heads "10 similar to an ordinary Spanner wrench. These lockingmembers or Wrenches a're provided with 'offset handles v20 and are employed for\rotatim1r the pins 9. To lock the members"17 am hold the same relative to the vertical flange 6, pins 21 are employed, these pins extending throughthe openings 19 in y-said locking members and openings 22 providpd therefor in the Hange (i, said pins being locked in the openings by cotter pins 23.

With the locking members `upon the heads 10 of the pins 9, said pins can be rotated to turn the fastener members 13, whereby the ratchet or offset ends of said members will ets 8 and force the splice bar 16 into engagement with the rails 3 and bind said rails against the splice bar 4. l

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, straps or plates v24. are used in lieu of the plate 1, said 'ride upon the beveled surface of the sockv straps having outer curved ends 25 for holdj ing an outer splice bar 26- against the rails 3, while vthe opposite Aends of the straps are bent upwardly to provide Vertical fianges 27 similaito the auge (l. Another type of inner splice bar 16 is used, and the offset handles 20 of the locking members are dispensed with, otherwise, the remaining elements of the modified form of construction are identical with the preferred embodiments of the invention.

The modified form of construction has been particularly designed as a rail brace and fastener for the broken ends of a'rail, while the preferred form of construction can be used as a connection for the confronting ends of two rails, similar to an ordinary rail joint.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, is

l. In a rail joint and fastener, the combination with rails, of plates adapted to support said rails, said plates having theouter ends thereof bracing the outer sides of said rails, said plates having the inner ends thereof provided with vertical fianges having beveled sockets, a splice bar bracing the inner sides of -said rails, rotatable fastener mem- 'bers interposed between said vertical fia-nges and said splice bai-and having beveled ends engaging in said beveled sockets, pins ex tending through said vertical flanges and connecting with said fastening members, looking members detachably mounted upon said pins for rotating said fastening inembers, and means for fixing said locking members relative toy said vertical flanges.

2. In a rail joint and fastener, the combination with rails, of plates adapted to support said rails, said plates having the outer ends thereof bracing the outer sides of said rails, said plates having the inner ends thereof provided with vertical flanges,a splice bar bracing the inner sides of said rails, rotatable vfastener members interposed. between said vertical 'flanges and said splice bar, pins extending vthrough saidvvertical flanges and f :onuecting with said fastening members, locking members detachably mounted upon said pins for rotating said fastening members, and means for fixing said locking members relative to said vertical flanges, said means including rpins adapted yto extend through said locking members and said vertical flanges, and Cotter-pins mounted in the inner ends of said ins.

3. In a rail joint, the combinationfwithy rails, of a. .plate supporting said rails, said plate havingthe outer endsthereof bracing i i the outer sides of said rails, a vertical flangev ing members detachablymounted upon said' pins for rotating said fastener members, and means for fixing said locking members relative to said flange.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with rails, said plate having the outer edge thereof bracing the outer sides of said rails, a vertical flange carried by the inner-edge of said plate, a splice bar bracinw the inner sides of said rails, the confronting sides of said splice bar and said flange having sockets formed therein, fastener members rotatably mounted in said sockets for binding said splice bar against said rails, and means for ad justing said fastener members, said means including pins connected to saidvmembeis, and locking members for rotating said pins. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HARRY H. lvIARKLAND. Witnesses:

DAVID FURNIER, MAX H. SnoLovrrz. 

